Intimacy
by Solora Goldsun
Summary: Fox has always shunned anything resembling pity. He's used to hiding any form of personal weakness under a layer of anger and pushing away all attempts at comfort. Now, however, he's finding himself more and more drawn to the kind words and gentle touches of his beautifully-vibrant partner. (Sequel to Insomnia)
1. Chapter 1

**Due to the low number of Fox-centric fics, and how much fun I had writing Insomnia, I have decided to finally put out a Fox/Coco piece. This is a sequel to Insomnia, though it can be read independently. Enjoy!**

 _HOOOOOONNNNNKK!_

Fox clapped his hands over his ears, his sightless eyes widening and his teeth gritting together in a vivid expression of agony. The airhorn's painful cry split through his head like an icepick being driven into his skull. His entire brain felt as if it was ringing.

 _HOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNKKKKK!_

They held it down longer this time, holding it to his other ear. He couldn't hear! He knew that, if he could, he would be subjected to the snickers of those heartless bullies. The airhorn was probably better.

Weeks ago, he and Coco had personally handled a group of second-years who had been tormenting Velvet. This had involved a thorough beating along with Coco breaking one of the jerk's legs. For a while, it had seemed as if the bullying was over. Then, about two seconds ago, a cry of "Hey, gimpy!" followed by a loud overload of Fox's senses told him otherwise.

Fox's knees trembled, but he forced himself to remain standing. Keeping his left hand over his ear, he swung out with his right, meeting only with air. "Dammit!" he hissed, right before another _HONK_ caused him to press both hands against his head once more.

He didn't dare take a step. His legs were shaking so badly, he'd certainly fall. Then, he'd be crouching under the loud onslaught, and that would utterly destroy what little pride he had left. All he could do was bite his lip, refuse to whimper, and hope desperately that it would be over soon.

 _HOOOOOO-fnfffff-CRACK!_

The next honk was suddenly cut off with a sound similar to air whooshing through a very limited space, followed by the sound of snapping plastic and metal. Fox's ears were still ringing, but it was impossible to miss Coco's voice shouting a stream of curses that would make any grandmother go into shock. The angry shouts were punctuated with very frequent snaps, thumps, and cries of pain that were definitely not coming from Coco.

Fox kept his hands over his ringing ears, taking deep breaths, trying to regain some form of balance, when a strong arm wrapped around his shoulders. Instinctively, he slumped back against Yatsuhashi's chest with a barely-audible groan. The larger boy held him carefully as Velvet's small hand pushed some of his hair from his brow. He could hear the Faunus's gentle voice, but his head was still pounding too much to understand what she was saying.

A gentle tug caused him to start moving as Yatsuhashi steered him away from the fight. Fox vaguely recognized the path leading to Team CFVY's room and breathed a sigh of relief. Even with his head pounding, he could feel the piercing stares of his fellow students. He didn't know what he hated more; the fact that some of those stares were condescending like those bullies, or the fact that most of them were probably full of pity.

He heard Velvet open the door and moved away from Yatsuhashi. Though he was still discombobulated, he certainly didn't need anyone showing him the way to his own bed.

"Thanks," he murmured, lightly pushing his friend's protesting hand away before stumbling across the room and falling onto his mattress. Groaning, he kicked off his shoes and pulled his legs in, curling up in a ball.

After a moment, he felt a light hand on his arm. "Want me to get an ice pack?" Velvet asked.

The ear that was pressed into his pillow felt slightly better, but his other one was still throbbing. "Sure," he replied. He heard the door open and close.

Yatsuhashi's voice called from the other side of the room. "Wanna talk at all?"

"No."

"Okay."

Fox sighed, closing his eyes. One thing he liked about Yatsuhashi was that he would never pursue a matter when asked not to. Velvet would have kept trying to talk. She meant well, certainly, and Fox was grateful that she cared. Still, sometimes it was better to just sit in silence.

As if on cue, the door slammed open and Coco's voice filled the room. "Ha! Those sons of bitches will be packing their bags by the end of the week! You guys should've stayed. Goodwitch came storming over to yell at me. Once I showed her the airhorn and witnesses backed me up, though…" Coco trailed off with a chuckle. "I thought she was gonna fry those bastards right on the spot! She led them off and was shouting something about expulsion. Hope the door knocks them upside the head on the way out!"

"Coco." Yatsuhashi's voice carried a slight tone of warning.

Coco tilted her head before Yatsu nodded in Fox's direction. Wincing, she saw that her partner had pulled his comforter over his exposed ear. "Sorry, Fox. I'll tone it down."

Fox made a muffled sound of gratitude that didn't come close to summing up how happy he was to hear Coco's voice, painful though it was. "You didn't get in trouble at all?"

"Nope!" Coco grinned triumphantly as she plopped down on Fox's bed. "I don't think that Velvet or you will ever have to worry about those losers again."

"You didn't kill any of them, right?" Fox pulled the comforter back down.

"I considered it, but the paperwork would've made it _so_ not worth it," Coco replied, reaching over to rub Fox's arm. "They won't be forgetting me anytime soon, though."

"I doubt anyone could," Fox said drily. A soft sigh left his chest as his partner moved up to rub his shoulder before massaging the back of his neck. Usually, his pride would tell him to pull away, but that part of his brain always seemed to shut itself off whenever Coco was involved.

Coco grinned at Fox's comment before allowing her expression to soften. Ever since she became his partner, she had been trying to break through the shell he had obviously been building up over the course of his life. He was silent and purposefully intimidating to people he didn't know, and ridiculously grouchy to those he was close to (namely, the members of Team CFVY). He resented anything resembling sympathy and became incredibly flustered when touched.

This quiet acceptance of her hand was all Coco needed to know that her partner was definitely at a low point. Or, maybe he was finally accepting that it wasn't shameful to receive comfort from friends. (She was more willing to go with the former.)

The door opened and Velvet came in bearing an ice pack. "Hey, Coco. Did you destroy them completely or leave a few pieces for burial?"

Fox silently raised an eyebrow at the fierce edge in his teammate's voice. She had never gotten so angry when the bullies had attacked her.

Coco laughed. "Nah, I left them in Professor Goodwitch's care." She reached out to take the ice pack. "I'm putting the ice on, Fox."

"Okay." Fox still winced at the sudden coldness when Coco placed the ice over his ear. Thankfully, it started numbing the pain right away. He could feel his teammates looking at him. "I should be fine in an hour or so," he said, hoping that would be enough to shift their worried gazes away from his pathetic form. Coco was still rubbing his neck and shoulder. He couldn't bring himself to shrug her off.

Velvet eyed Fox for a moment. It looked as if he was in one of his moods when he would shut out most of the people around him, with the occasional exception of Coco. _At least he's letting Coco comfort him this time,_ she thought to herself as she crossed the room to sit next to Yatsuhashi.

Her partner smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she sat down on his bed. She smiled, leaning into his chest.

Yatsuhashi rubbed Velvet's arm and kissed the tip of one of her rabbit ears. "He'll be fine," he muttered.

"I know," Velvet replied softly. "I still worry, though."

Then, she looked at Fox's bed and felt a smile replace her worried frown. Fox had shifted closer to Coco and had closed his eyes. Some of the angry lines on his face were gone and he was beginning to look almost calm.

Fox let out a yawn. His brain was still buzzing with the memory of the airhorn and his pride was still in tatters, but he could feel himself drifting off just the same. Coco's warm, soft hand moved up to his hair and started lightly stroking it. He could smell coconut-scented moisturizer combined with the always-present smell of metal shrapnel and smoke that came from Coco's frequent usage of her minigun.

That gentle hand was soothing his nerves better than the ice was. After a few minutes, he felt Coco removing it before returning to her ministrations on his hair. The slightest smile came to his face. In his drowsy state, he found himself wanting to curl closer to Coco, almost like how Velvet and Yatsu had started doing over the past few weeks.

 _Don't be stupid,_ he berated himself as darkness clouded his mind. _You're only putting up with this because you're tired. Tomorrow, it's back to your usual self. The last thing you need is to be seen as a weakling who needs a hug every time things get difficult._

With that thought firmly embedded in his brain, Fox allowed himself to fall asleep.

Coco watched as Fox's breathing grew steadier. His brows relaxed and the smile he had been trying to suppress stretched fully across his sleeping face. Her heart warmed at the sight. _Only happy when you're asleep, huh Foxy?_

Glancing over her shoulder, Coco checked to see if Velvet and Yatsuhashi were watching. Thankfully, they seemed completely intent on their notes at this point. Quickly, she leaned down and touched a soft kiss to Fox's forehead. She allowed herself to linger there for a few seconds, feeling the warmth of his skin on her lips, before pulling back.

"Feel better, Fox," she muttered before standing up and walking over to her own bed. She had some studying to do.

 **I have moments like this as well: wanting comfort, but being too proud or too embarrassed to ask. I think lots of people have that problem, since society tends to push us to hide our issues and not show weakness to others. Like Insomnia, I see this being a twoshot. I'll try to get the other chapter out soon.**

 **Praise Monty and peace out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Aaaand, I'm back. This summer was not a kind one for fanfiction, as you can see. However, I was able to finally finish this one. It only took my WiFi getting knocked out and taking away my usual distractions to finally get over the rut I was in for this chapter. Maybe it should do that more often… Anyway, lots of fluff here. Enjoy!**

Fox was feeling much grumpier than usual. This was a common enough problem for him, particularly in the later months of Winter. He felt slower, angrier, sadder, and less capable overall of doing anything.

He knew that it had to do with the cold weather and lack of sunlight, as this was a thing that happened every year, but this time around felt much worse. It was like there was a weight in his chest and stomach. Invisible pliers squeezed his head at regular intervals. He was more tired than ever, but never could get to sleep when he wanted to.

His team noticed the change and obviously wanted to help. Sometimes, he would allow himself to vent his daily worries to one of them, but mostly he kept them bottled up. Even stronger than his prevailing sadness was an ongoing fear that he was whining, that his friends' patience would wear out, that he would become more of a mopey burden than anything.

During his free time, he wandered along the edges of the Emerald Forest or sat on the rooftop, feeling the cool wind on his face. Staying too long in his room made him antsy.

One evening, Coco found him on the roof. He turned his head in her direction when he heard the clicking of her heeled boots, but didn't feel like actually speaking. He heard her sit down next to him. She didn't say anything besides a quiet "Hey," before falling silent.

She was close enough for him to feel the warmth radiating from her form, even in the face of the chill in the air. If he shifted to the side slightly, their arms would brush. He shifted a few times, telling himself that those brief touches were an accident each time.

Eventually, they both stood up and walked back to their room without a word, Fox feeling significantly better for some reason. He felt a sense of understanding between him and his partner, something that didn't require speaking. He wondered if she understood his dark mood better than he himself did. When they reached the door, she brushed her hand lightly against his before opening it. He blinked a few times, finding himself wishing that she had taken it fully.

His disquiet only got worse as Finals for the first semester approached. Like the other students, Team CFVY became incredibly stressed and sleep-deprived as they studied, crammed, and chugged their team's namesake like water.

One night, Coco was jolted from her studies by a book being slammed shut. Fox was standing up from his bed and making a beeline for the door. He mumbled something about needing some air before quickly exiting.

Velvet and Yatsuhashi glanced toward Coco, concern written on their faces along with the unspoken question of whether or not she'd follow him. Over the past few nights, the three had grown used to a regular system of Fox not showing up in the room and Coco finding him on the roof and sitting with him until he decides to return.

Coco nodded slightly at them, though she decided to wait a few minutes before following, wanting to give Fox a chance to cool off a bit on his own. Once she felt that a good amount of time had passed, she closed her book and stood, grabbing both her jacket and Fox's on the way out.

Fox was sitting against the wall on the roof, hugging his knees and shivering slightly. He was wearing a soft sweater underneath his usual vest. Coco had given it to him a few weeks ago, insisting that, though the muscles and scars on his arms were very sexy (his face burned for a good few minutes after that comment), he wasn't of any use to the team if he caught the flu. Unfortunately, with the increase in snow and the decrease in temperature, the sweater and vest were no longer sufficient protection.

He considered swallowing his pride and going back early, when the sound of the door opening and closing filled him with a combination of relief and guilt. As Coco moved close and tossed his coat over his knees, he quickly said "I'm fine, really."

Coco rolled her eyes as she sat down, pulling her own faux-fur jacket closer to her form. "What's up, Foxy? It's something specific this time, isn't it?" She watched him put on his coat, a large black and orange one he had brought with him from home, and noticed that his hands were shaking.

"I've been trying to cram for Port's exam," Fox explained, leaning against the wall again. "But, I spent all of last night studying for Oobleck's. I drank like five espressos today, and now my hands are shaking. It's so bad, I can't read the braille." Even when he tried gripping his knees, he felt the trembling in his wrists continue.

Coco immediately scooted closer, touching one of Fox's shaking hands, her brows furrowed with concern. "Yeah, okay. You're getting some sleep. Leaders orders, so don't try questioning me!"

Fox let out a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a cough. "I won't have much of a choice once I hit caffeine crash. Then, I can wake up just in time to fail." He could feel his wrist and the back of his left hand warming under Coco's. Hers was so tiny and soft compared to his, though he could still feel old and new callouses from multiple battles and training sessions.

"You won't fail," Coco assured him. "You know the material. You're just freaking yourself out. We've all been doing that, but you've been particularly bad."

Fox shrugged, careful to not move his hand away from where it was.. "I just want to make sure, you know?"

Coco rubbed his wrist comfortingly. "If you want, I'll make sure you're up an hour before the test. That should be enough time to bolt some food and cram a few extra things, though you really don't need it. The extra cramming, I mean. Not the food. You need that. Can't have you fainting, after all."

Fox allowed a small smile to come to his face. "Thanks. That would help a lot." He heaved a long sigh. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Coco moved closer, cuddling into his side and resting her head on his shoulder. "That's what teammates are for."

Fox blushed, feeling himself leaning into Coco. He rested his head on top of hers, silently inhaling the scent of mango shampoo and some expensive, flowery perfume. He supposed it was okay to do this, since no one else would see. "It just feels like I've been more of a burden than anything. I don't know why I get like this, whether or not there are tests going on. I just get sad sometimes and need to get away. I don't like worrying you guys."

Coco shook her head, her hand gripping his wrist lightly. "You don't have to explain anything, and you're not a burden. You still pull your weight when it counts, whether it's in the classroom or on the field. Velvs, Yatsu, and I care about you and want you to be okay. So, don't be afraid to ask for anything from us, got it?"

She gave his wrist a firm squeeze to emphasize the point. "It doesn't matter if some jerk was mean to you, if you're stressed out about finals, or if you're just sad without knowing why. We're here for you."

Coco's words, combined with the softness of her hair on his cheek, caused Fox to finally relax a little. Muscles he hadn't known were tight grew loose and he closed his eyes, trying to make sense of how _warm_ he suddenly felt. His left hand moved, as if of its own accord, and flipped over so his palm was brushing Coco's. Hesitantly, he slipped his fingers between hers, feeling a thrill when she returned the grip.

They stayed like that for nearly an hour, neither one wanting to break the silence, when Coco let out a small sneeze that she quickly tried to cover. Fox, of course, heard it anyway.

"Let's head back." He stood, pulling his partner up with him before letting go of her hand. "Can't go catching the flu, right?" A grin, a real one, spread across his face.

Coco felt her heart stutter happily when she saw the genuine smile on her friend's face. "Y-Yeah. That would suck," she managed to say before starting toward the door.

Fox bit his lip before calling after her. "Uh, Coco?"

"Yo?" Coco turned around to look at Fox, feeling a small amount of dismay when she saw that he had regained his awkward stance and had his head turned nervously toward the ground. _Already? I thought we were making progress this time._

Words were failing Fox and he was forced to stammer like an idiot. "Um, well you said I could ask you guys for anything. And, well, I was wondering if- I mean, if you're okay to-"

Coco stepped forward, cutting him off gently. "What is it, partner?"

Fox rubbed bashfully at the back of his neck before taking a step forward. His right hand, still trembling from fatigue, reached out until it was resting lightly on Coco's left arm. Once he knew her exact position, he took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Slowly, giving her time to back away if she got uncomfortable, he pulled her into a long, warm hug.

Coco froze in shock when she felt Fox's strong arms wrapped around her, felt his chin come to a rest on his shoulder, felt his cheek brush lightly against the side of her neck. Once she got over her surprise, she immediately brought up her arms to hug him around the middle, gladly snuggling closer in the process.

Fox felt the rest of his muscles relax, closing his eyes blissfully as he finally granted himself what he had been craving for weeks. Holding Coco was like being wrapped in his favorite blanket. He felt safe, happy, and content, as if he could do anything as long as she stayed close. Feeling slightly giddy at the returned embrace, he shifted closer, giving the side of her soft neck a gentle nuzzle.

She stiffened and he worried for a moment that he had gone too far, but the puff of air against his throat and the three consecutive kisses that followed erased any doubts from his mind. He grinned, turning to kiss her cheek, feeling how it was practically burning despite the cold.

Coco laughed softly as Fox's dry lips tickled her cheek. She drew back slightly to look at his face. Her heart melted when she saw the glimmer in his sightless eyes and the content, slightly sleepy grin on his face. She leaned forward, kissing the scar on his mouth before eagerly claiming his lips.

Fox made a muffled sound of surprise before closing his eyes and moving his lips against hers. He brought up one hand, running sensitive fingertips over Coco's face. He wanted to remember what she looked like in that moment. It _was_ his first kiss, after all.

She ran her tongue across his bottom lip, running the fingers of her right hand up his spine. He shivered, but didn't open his mouth. At that moment, he just wanted to feel that closeness to Coco he had been wanting, and the gentle, chaste brushes of lips were more than enough for him.

Coco was slightly disappointed when Fox didn't deepen the kiss, though she also found something very endearing about his reserved, simple displays of affection. When the kiss ended, she turned to kiss the palm of his hand and heard him gasp quietly. She grinned as she hugged him again, this time resting her cheek on his chest. She closed her eyes, savoring the warmth surrounding her. Then, she felt her partner yawn.

"Tired, Foxy," she murmured, drawing back again to stroke his cheek. The adorable smile on his face had become even more tired, and the bags under his eyes were more prominent.

"A little," Fox murmured, leaning into Coco's touch. "Wanna head back in?"

Coco nodded. "Sure thing." She linked her arm with his, tugging him toward the door. "So, your bed or mine?" she asked.

"Wha-?! _Coco!_ " Fox sputtered, his face somehow becoming even hotter than before. At the same time, he let out a bemused laugh, shaking his head at his partner.

Coco snickered, squeezing his hand as they walked through the deserted hallways. As they walked, she kept glancing at her partner out of the corner of her eye and silently rejoicing to see that rare, content expression on his face each time. In the back of her mind, she promised herself to make a point to keep making that bright smile appear as often as possible.

 **I'm rewatching RWBY and will try to update a few of my other fics, like Mates for Life and Feral. I can't wait until Volume 3 comes out! I can't help but wonder how close to fan characterization the members of Team CFVY will be. Also, I saw pictures of the new team, Team ABRN, and they look awesome. I hope we'll actually get to see Scarlet and Sage before too many new people are introduced, though.**

 **Anyway, college starts next week and hopefully inspiration will be more of a thing. Praise Monty and peace out!**


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